1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of firearms and, more particularly, to a safety device which prevents the firing of a firearm.
2. Description of the Related Art
The need for safety devices for firearms has long been recognized. Countless people, especially children, have been injured or even killed due the accidental discharge of firearms. Consequently, various safety devices have been developed to address this problem. However, firearms are often maintained by people for protection and, therefore, must be readily available. Thus, there is a need for safety devices for firearms which can be disabled, thereby rendering the firearm operable, fairly quickly.
Several safety devices have been developed for firearms. Many, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,327,334, 2,479,107, 2,763,081, 4,398,366, 4,783,924 and 4,908,971 comprise a rod type member inserted into the barrel which extends into the chamber, means, such as a dummy bullet, cartridge or protrusion, in the chamber for anchoring or securing the rod type member, an outer member inserted over the end of the rod type member extending out of the barrel and, in some cases, the outer end of the barrel itself, and some type of locking means for preventing the removal of the outer member from the rod and/or barrel. Although these prior art references are useful for their intended purposes, none has proven to be entirely effective. Specifically, these devices require the insertion and/or assembly of several different members, some in the barrel and some in the chamber, and are, therefore, cumbersome and difficult to utilize. Furthermore, because they include several different members including, in most instances, a keylock, they are expensive and cannot be quickly removed. Also, the means for securing these devices are located in the chamber, which may not be desirable and may not function properly with automatic weapons and other firearms having configurations which differ from that of revolvers.
Another device, shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,099, discloses a Gun Locking Device comprising a tube extending within the length of the barrel, a rod translatable within the tube and having a first end extending into the chamber and an opposite end extending out of the outer end of the barrel, a first wedge, with a forward facing inclined surface, positioned in the chamber on the end of the rod, a second wedge, with a rearwardly facing inclined surface for engagement with the forwardly facing inclined surface of the first wedge, encompassing the rod between the first wedge and the innermost end of the tube, and means for translating the rod, thereby urging the first wedge towards the second wedge causing the wedges to be biased transversely into engagement with the adjacent wall of the throat of the barrel. However, like the other prior art devices discussed above, this device has also not proven to be entirely effective. Specifically, this device is also difficult to utilize. It requires the separate steps of first inserting the tube and rod into the barrel and then the wedges into the chamber, before the rod is translated to urge the wedges together. Likewise, removal of the device requires the same number of steps, including the removal of a lock and, thus, may not be accomplished quickly. Additionally, because it also includes the lock and several other members, this device may be expensive. Also, the engagement between the wedges and the firearm which secures this device in place occurs in the chamber of the firearm, which may not be desirable and may not function properly with automatic weapons and other firearms having configurations which differ from that of revolvers. Furthermore, it appears that the transversely biased wedges of this device engage the shoulder or vertical walls defining the outermost end of the chamber and the innermost end of the barrel and, not the walls forming the outer circumference of the chamber.
Accordingly, there is still a need in the art for a universal Gun Safety Device with means for securing the device to the barrel, and not the chamber, so that it may be used with revolvers, shotguns, automatic weapons and other firearms with configurations which differ from that of a revolver. Any such device should include a minimum of components, thereby making it simple to install, inexpensive, and quickly removable and ready for use. The present invention is particularly suited to overcome those problems which remain in the art in a manner not previously known.